The kid was cute to begin with.
I mean, let’s be honest.
He’s a cute boy.
But, over the weekend, the tooth came out, the tooth fairy came, and I swear…
…he got cuter.
How can losing a body part actually make someone adorable?
I don’t know, but there it is.
(Don’t forget to enter our Anniversary Contest!)
Well, unbelievably, this August marks one year that I’ve been writing the “My Real Life” blog.
I’ve loved every single second.
I want to thank those of you who have been reading since the beginning.
Sometimes, I’m a bit much.
And if you were with me in the beginning and are still with me today…I’m impressed.
Those of you who came midstream, I’m so glad that you’ve joined us along the way and decided to stick it out!
And, for those of you who just joined us…welcome, and make yourself comfortable, because I’ve got lot more to share!
I thought I’d celebrate our one year anniversary with a contest.
Easy, easy, easy.
The prize is…
…a $25 iTunes gift card!!!
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below with your favorite blog post from the past year.
If you are new to the blog, feel free to look through the archives, found at the right.
It’s been an interesting year around here…there’s sure to be something that catches your eye!
Winner will be chosen at random.
So, truly…thank you for reading the blog.
It is a labor of love and updating the blog is one of the highlights of each day.
It’s a way for me to nurture my creativity and my writing, while discussing the thing about which I am most passionate…
…my family.
So, thank you and stick around!
Year Two is sure to be full of more surprises, contests, and lots and lots of pictures of the monkeys.
(Contest will run through Thursday)
Following the lead of some bloggers who I read, I’ve decided to do a Friday Five today.
The following are five things that you probably didn’t know about me.
You probably really don’t care, either, but there it is.
1. I am hoping against hope that Monkey in the Middle loses his tooth while I’m at work today. A slightly wiggly tooth I can deal with. A wiggly tooth that is barely hanging by a nerve gives me a totally icky feeling in the pit of my stomach and completely creeps me out. Some mom, huh?
2. In the spring, I outlined my next three novels. All that was left to do was fill-in, write some dialogue and background and that would be it. I made a summer goal of writing for an hour a day. We’re closing in on August and I haven’t written a single word.
3. I’m thinking about buying a used violin or cello from eBay and teaching myself to play this fall. It is the one instrument that I always wanted to learn how to play and never did.
4. One of my favorite sounds in the world is the sound of a typewriter. I think if I had a typewriter, I would have written those three novels this summer…correction tape and all.
5. I am, right now, completely obsessed with Eminem’s new song and just about lose control of the van trying to turn it up every time it comes on the radio.
And there you have it.
Whether you wanted it, or not.
C’mon…a little Skid Row anyone?
Anyone?
Anyone?
Bueller?
Bueller?
Okay…
Anyway.
Real Man and I woke up to the sound of thunder and pouring rain this morning.
Up on top of the mountain (I know, when I say “the mountain” it makes it sound like we live on Walton’s Mountain or something…”Goodnight JimBob, Goodnight Erin”…wow, am I rambling this morning) the thunder is much, much louder than in the lowlands.
Like, it’s cracking on the roof.
So, we were sure that in no time flat, we’d have five people in our bed.
Yet, it kept storming and no one was showing up.
Finally, we realized they had moved into the living room and had set up camp to watch the storm.
Unprecedented.
A storm without smushiness?
We couldn’t even imagine.
And then…
…we missed them.
But, man, were they cute!
So, I believe I’ve mentioned before that I’m an Instructional Leader for Math and Science at our local middle school.
I went back to get a second masters and a Principal’s certificate a few years ago, and was headed up the administrative ladder.
I’ve done this job for two years, now.
I’m detailed, organized, and pretty good at what I do.
However, I miss kids.
I miss the Eureka! moments in the classroom.
I miss the interaction between teacher and student and the relationships that form.
I miss the every day angst of the middle schooler.
I miss everything about teaching.
So, at the end of the school year, I told my principal that if a position became available, I’d love to go back to the classroom.
To say she was shocked is an understatement.
I like what I do now.
I loved every day when I was teaching.
I’m not willing to settle.
People think I’m crazy.
I could make much more money as an administrator, but it’s not worth my happiness.
Every day, I think of a new way to teach Social Studies or a new lesson or a different way to use technology in the classroom.
I’m itching to get my hands dirty and to get back in the trenches with the kids.
And so, in September, I leave my nice, comfy, air conditioned office with the big comfy chair for this…
A second floor sauna of a classroom, with no air and a broken chair. (they just waxed the floors…don’t worry, there are desks for the kids as well)
And I can’t wait.
Monkey Girl is spending the night at her cousin’s house.
It’s natural.
She’s 9.
9 year olds sleep over at each other’s homes.
Especially at their cousin’s homes.
She’s safe.
She’s happy.
I miss her like crazy.
As of this moment, she has been gone for 6.5 hours.
I won’t see her for another 21 hours, as she is spending the day with them tomorrow as well.
I feel like I’m missing an appendage.
It’s silly.
If she were here, she’d be playing with her brothers right now, anyway.
She, most likely, wouldn’t be right next to me.
But I feel an empty space near me and I miss my little BFF.
I could never let her know quite how much I miss her when she’s not here.
Yes, I’ll say, “Aw, I missed you sweetie!”
But, any more than that and my little Monkey Girl who worries about everyone would never leave my side again.
And THAT is not what I want for her.
Do you think they make mother/daughter suites at college?
…when you think you cannot possibly say “Hands off your little brother” one more time.
…when you know your ears will bleed from the volume of his voice.
…when you cannot play one more game of Chutes and Ladders to keep him out of his sisters hair.
…when bedtime can’t come fast enough.
…this happens…
…and you can’t cuddle him close enough or gently kiss his head enough…
…and suddenly, the rest of the day just melts away and you can’t wait for him to wake up so you can play that one more game together…
…because you just needed one still moment with him to remind you of how very much you love him.
Monkey Girl had her culminating concert for Summer Music Camp today.
It was held at the local high school, where the camp was run.
The same high school from which Real Man and I graduated.
The same high school where we danced together at the Junior Prom.
Good times.
Anyway, she rocked it. After only playing the flute for 23 days, she did a great job and was adorable on stage.
I couldn’t get any good pictures, because I had to sit in the back with the boys.
Who were less than stellar.
So, we spent most of the concert outside.
In the hallway.
The auditorium is in the old, original building.
Our town is very old.
So old, in fact, George Washington and his troops spent the winter here during the Revolutionary War.
Our high school isn’t quite that old, but it’s old enough. Late 1800’s, if I’m not mistaken.
Hanging in the original staircase in the original building, which is right outside of the auditorium is a bunch of paraphenalia from the “olden days.”
I love it.
A diploma from 1917.
Or, how about one from 1911?
An original photo of the original building, still there, retouched and donated by the class of 2008.
A plaque donated by the class of 1922 to the students in their class who fought in WWI.
The 1925 marching band.
I took about fifty more pictures that I won’t bore you with.
However, I just think there’s something to a building with history.
Something to a school with history, so that the students can realize that they are a part of something so much bigger than themselves.
And, it gave me something to do while the boys sat in time out on the stairs.
This is the first summer I haven’t worked since the summer I was pregnant with Monkey Girl.
And that was the first summer I hadn’t worked since I was in 8th grade.
However, this summer, I decided to just chill and spend time with the monkeys.
The result?
Our July calendar.
Not a thing scheduled.
In fact, the only thing that is really scheduled this summer is taking Monkey Girl to summer music camp, but that’s over by 9:45 every morning.
Don’t really need to write it down.
Let’s look at January, for comparison.
Can I just say how much I am enjoying this July?
We do what we want, when we want.
And, if we don’t feel like doing anything…
…we don’t.
Monkey in the Middle is having a bit of a transitional issue with this summer, as he is a schedule boy.
All about the rules.
The schedule.
Things happening a certain way.
But, even he is enjoying the fact that when he says “Wanna play a game,” I can say “Yep,” instead of, “Ooh, we gotta go in 10 minutes.”
So, when, in September, my co-workers ask what we did this summer, I’m just gonna say “we just were.”
And when they say “were what?”
I’ll say “ourselves.”
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